According to Chabad Chassidus, emotionally healthy awe begins through curiosity and noticing patterns

A person notices the wisdom in creation, the way life is continually given, the importance of human choices, and the deeper patterns found in Torah and experience.

These patterns help the mind recognize that the Infinite Creator is here, and that reality comes from a Source with wisdom, free choice, and a desire to give goodness.

When that understanding becomes emotionally real, it becomes awe.

──────────

Healthy awe then leads to love.

That love includes joy because the Creator gives us life, allows closeness, makes life a conversation with Him, and trusts humanity with partnership.

It also includes sadness because His goodness is still hidden, the relationship could be felt and revealed more deeply, and the world could reveal much more goodness.

──────────

But beliefs about the Creator affect whether this love can develop.

If someone believes the Creator is cruel, unfair, unpredictable, or like a bully who tortures people in the World of Souls, the nervous system is more likely to protect itself from Him than to open itself to love.

That belief may create fear, but it does not naturally create the deeper love that grows from trusting His goodness.

──────────

Adaptive trauma patterns can also numb this process.

Fight, flight, freeze, and fawn, which often appears as people-pleasing, narrow a person’s attention toward staying safe.

They make it harder for the nervous system to stay present long enough to notice the patterns that awaken awe.

A person may understand ideas about the Creator intellectually while having very little ability to feel wonder, closeness, sadness, or joy.

──────────

Curiosity begins to reopen that ability.

As a person becomes less controlled by survival patterns, they can notice reality more honestly, recognize more of the Creator’s wisdom and goodness, and allow that recognition to become felt awe.

That awe then awakens love: joy in the closeness that is already possible, and sadness that His goodness could be revealed even more.

"Why some people never feel close to the Creator, even though they believe in Him"

──────────

Related guides:

Every world view contains mystery: 

People pleasing and misguided awe is like idol worship: https: nextself.ai/spirituality/one-unhealthy-spiritual-pattern-misdirected-awe/

Jewish secret to transform suffering into goodness: https://nextself.ai/spirituality/good-arguments-struggle-fear-shame-people-pleasing/

Emotionally healthy beliefs about the world of souls: https://nextself.ai/spirituality/maimonides-rambam-describes-the-world-to-come-as-fully-spiritual/